2019 PRS Annual Meeting Program

“Bench to Bedside” – the continuum of research contributions from PRS members

Celebrate the success of the Society over 50 years

General Layout

Friday Night -Dinner & Speaker

Time

Speaker

Title/brief description of topic

Location

3:00 – 6:00pm

CHECK-IN AND REGISTRATION

6:00pm

Welcome Reception Followed by Dinner

7:00pm

Welcome by PRS President Lisa Joss-Moore, PhD

7:30 – 8:15pm

NICHD Speaker - Dr. Bill Hay, Jr., MD

Title: Origins, history, and value of the Perinatal Society– This presentation will focus on the original purpose of the PRS: what does “Perinatal” mean; diversity among investigators and animals models; and the value of commonality, collaborations, communications, and friendship among perinatal scientists.Moderator:

8:15 – 8:30pm

Questions and Answers

Saturday, Sept 28, 2019

Time

Speaker

Title/brief description of topic

Location

6:45 – 7:45am

Breakfast

8:00 – 8:45am

University of Utah OB Speaker - Sandra T. Davidge, PhD, FAAP

Title: “Impact of pregnancy complications on later life cardiovascular health in the offspring- what can we do about it?”

Pregnancy is a window to assess cardiovascular health and can impact later-life maternal and offspring cardiovascular health, thus impacting future generations. Dr. Davidge’s research is focused on understanding mechanisms for vascular complications of pregnancy (e.g. preeclampsia, maternal aging) and developmental origins of cardiovascular disease. The impact of this research is to ultimately develop novel therapeutic strategies to improve pregnancy outcomes and minimize the impact of pregnancy complications on both maternal and offspring cardiovascular health.

8:45 – 9:00am

Questions and Answers

9:00 – 9:45am

University of Utah Pediatrics Speaker – David Stevenson, MD

Title: Understanding Disparities in Preterm Birth. "New insights into the immunologic and signaling processes that determine gestational length in pregnancy have revealed important complexity in the interactions (ancestral and current) between genetic and environmental forces. A better understanding of these relationships could guide research efforts which, in turn, could lead to a reduction in disparities in preterm birth by introducing effective clinical and public health interventions."

9:45 – 10:00am

Questions and Answers

10:00 – 10:15am

BREAK

10:15 – 11:00am

March of Dimes Speaker – Patrick Catalano, MD

Title: Maternal obesity and gestational diabetes; short and long term effects on the offspring. Maternal obesity and diabetes have independent effects on fetal growth. Long-term, maternal gestational diabetes is associated primarily with childhood glucose metabolism, while maternal obesity is primarily associated with childhood adiposity.

Title: A brief history of Neonatology, and discuss limits of viability, current neuroprotective treatments and future therapies. Specifically the PENUT trial (Preterm Epo Neuroprotection) and the results of this trial. Moderator

8:45 – 9:00am

Questions and Answers

9:00 – 9:45am

Abbott Nutrition Speaker - Irina Buhimschi, MD

Title: Bridges and Bottlenecks over the Valley of Death in Perinatal Research

The “Valley of Death” metaphorically describes the gap between basic research discoveries and their applications in clinical practice. Over the past ten years, funding agencies have tried making the Valley of Death more navigable for academic researchers so that innovations can be more rapidly transitioned into useful interventions. This talk will examine three important problems in perinatal research: preeclampsia, preterm birth, and optimization of perinatal outcomes. Despite the overwhelming need to address these issues, diagnostic and therapeutic innovation has lagged behind other fields such as cancer, HIV, or cardiovascular research. Drawing from personal experiences, the presentation will review critical elements of successful translational science that are seldom discussed, including intellectual property, technology transfer, and partnerships for scale and sustainability.

9:45 – 10:00am

Questions and Answers

10:00 – 10:15am

BREAK

10:15 – 11:00am

Member Speaker 1 – Trent E. Tipple, MD

Title: Lost in Translation: Bridging the Gap in Perinatal Redox Biology Research. Given the established role of oxidative stress in the pathobiology of perinatal diseases, the potential efficacy of redox-based therapeutic has been supported by numerous preclinical studies. Unfortunately, these approaches have failed to translate into meaningful clinical therapies. Using examples from his ongoing research, Dr. Tipple will demonstrate how sufficient appreciation of the complexities of redox biology, when coupled with realistic modeling of clinical scenarios, can bridge the bench to bedside gap in perinatal redox biology.

11:00 – 11:15am

Questions and Answers

11:15 – 12:00pm

Member Speaker 2 - Emily J. Su, MD

Title: Mediators of impaired fetoplacental angiogenesis in severe fetal growth restriction. Abnormal umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry in growth-restricted fetuses is an ominous finding that substantially increases risk for adverse perinatal and long-term outcomes. Impaired placental angiogenesis resulting in abnormally thin, unbranched villous vessels is a common pathologic finding in the pregnancies and is a structural cause of aberrantly elevated fetoplacental vascular resistance. In a model of human fetoplancetalendothelial cells, we have found various mechanisms that underlie deficient angiogenesis in severe fetal growth restriction.